image: Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health has joined the Pediatric Pandemic Network.
Credit: University of Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health is proud to announce its partnership as an affiliate hub site in the Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN), significantly expanding the network’s reach to Region 6, which encompasses Oklahoma and surrounding states. This participation is made possible through a partnership with the University of Oklahoma. The addition will help ensure children across the region have access to critical care during health crises, such as pandemics, by enhancing pediatric preparedness and readiness in both urban and rural areas.
The PPN, which was established to strengthen the pediatric health care infrastructure in the United States by improving national pediatric preparedness and readiness, will now have a hub site in all 10 federal regions, with Oklahoma Children’s Hospital leading efforts in Region 6. This expansion is pivotal to ensuring that children and their families have access to high-quality pediatric care.
A key component of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital’s contribution to PPN is its expertise in caring for rural and Native populations, including Tribal communities. As a regional health care leader, the hospital provides advanced pediatric services and specialists not available anywhere else in the state, including Oklahoma City’s only 24/7 pediatric emergency department and a neonatal intensive care unit that provides the state’s highest level of care.
“As a leading health care provider in the state and region, we are honored to join the Pediatric Pandemic Network and expand our role in improving the care delivery system for children across Oklahoma and beyond. We are committed to ensuring that all children, including those in rural and Native communities, have access to lifesaving care when they need it most,” said Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Pediatric Emergency Medicine Section Chief Amanda Bogie, M.D., a professor of pediatrics in the OU College of Medicine and co-leader of the hospital’s participation in PPN.
Also co-leading the effort is Ryan Brown, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the OU College of Medicine and medical director of the Child Protection Team at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. Brown is passionate about serving children from rural and Tribal communities, and he is committed to strengthening relationships with Tribal, local and regional institutions and agencies that serve children. Having grown up in rural Oklahoma and interacting with Indian Health Services, he is especially interested in supporting emergency services at Oklahoma’s Indian health hospitals and clinics.
Historically, disaster preparedness has largely focused on adults. However, children have a much greater risk of physical injury during disasters and emergencies. They also have a higher risk of developing mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Youth with special health care needs and their families contend with even greater vulnerabilities when facing emergencies or disasters.
“The COVID-19 pandemic revealed gaps in health care preparedness, and these gaps are even broader in pediatric populations. Kids are not little adults. They are physically and developmentally more vulnerable to injury during disasters and emergencies,” said PPN co-leader Ryan McKee, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the OU College of Medicine.
Oklahoma is no stranger to natural or manmade disasters. Since 2020, the state has experienced nearly 200 federal disaster declarations. These events, coupled with Oklahoma’s high percentage of chronic health conditions among children, a worsening shortage of pediatric subspecialists, and a large rural population with limited access to high-quality care, make the work of PPN especially important. With access to deployable resources and opportunities to collaborate with pediatric experts nationwide, PPN aims to improve pediatric readiness across the state, region and nation.
“Oklahomans are resilient. They are also known for generosity and upholding the Oklahoma Standard in response to a disproportionate share of disasters. This is an opportunity for all who champion pediatric health in the state to work together to support the same Oklahoma Standard, not just for response but for preparedness, too. Unfortunately, we have a lot of practice with disasters, making Oklahoma uniquely poised to contribute to national pediatric preparedness goals,” said Julia Smith, PPN hub site manager at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital.
The addition of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital to PPN marks a major step forward in building a more resilient pediatric health care system in the United States. By strengthening regional care delivery and supporting underserved communities, PPN will be better positioned to respond to future health crises, ensuring the health and safety of children across the nation.
“We are proud to welcome Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health to our network,” said Kevin McCulley, chief operating officer of PPN. “Their deep understanding of the health care needs of rural and Native populations, combined with their exceptional clinical expertise, will be an invaluable asset as we strengthen our national response to pediatric care during disasters, pandemics and everyday emergencies.”
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About the Project
The Pediatric Pandemic Network is supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of cooperative agreements U1IMC43532 and U1IMC45814 with zero percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The content presented here is that of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. government. For more information, visit HRSA.gov.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university with campuses in Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. In Oklahoma City, OU Health Sciences is one of the nation’s few academic health centers with seven health profession colleges located on the same campus. OU Health Sciences serves approximately 4,000 students in more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning Oklahoma City and Tulsa and is the leading research institution in Oklahoma. For more information about OU Health Sciences, visit www.ouhsc.edu.
About the Pediatric Pandemic Network
The Pediatric Pandemic Network is a national coalition of pediatric medical institutions, researchers, and public health professionals working together to improve pediatric preparedness and response to pandemics, emergencies and disasters. The PPN’s mission is to advance pediatric preparedness by improving clinical care protocols, and enhancing the overall healthcare infrastructure to protect children during public health emergencies. For more information, visit https://pedspandemicnetwork.org/.
About Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health
OU Health is Oklahoma’s only comprehensive academic health system and the destination of choice for complex care. We provide extensive options for patients with serious conditions who turn to OU Health for leadership in clinical care, research and education. As the clinical partner of the University of Oklahoma, one of the nation’s leading academic and research institutions, we are committed to excellence. Our physicians serve as faculty at the OU College of Medicine, expanding the boundaries of medical knowledge through research and training the next generation of healthcare professionals. Their breakthroughs lead to life-changing treatments and technologies.
With more than 11,000 employees and over 1,300 physicians and advanced practice providers, we serve Oklahoma and the region with the state’s only comprehensive children’s hospital (Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health); National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center (OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center); and the flagship academic hospital and Oklahoma’s only Level I trauma center (OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center).
For more information, visit OUHealth.com.